All we need is a little inspiration

We was in a work meeting the other day talking business when a name was mentioned that also happened to be the name of a famous professional athlete. Which made me wonder. . . whatever happened to . . .

So, there you have it, inspiration.

Anyway, the name that popped up was John Cappaletti. Of course, we weren’t talking about the former Penn-State-Heisman-Trophy-winning John Cappaletti in the meeting, but you get the idea.

Today, we wonder where THAT Cappaletti is. But first some background:

Cappaletti was a senior running back for Penn State in 1973. He rushed for 1,522 yards and 17 touchdowns, as the Nittany Lions ran the table at 12-0. But it was his acceptance speech at the Heisman Trophy ceremony that cemented his legacy in college sports. In his speech, Cappaletti spoke of his relationship with his younger brother, Joey, who suffered from leukemia. Joey was 11 at the time and among the first leukemia patients every to be treated with chemotherapy.

"If I can dedicate this trophy to him tonight and give him a couple of days of happiness, that is worth everything," John said. Read the entire speech.

His brother died in 1976, but was immortalized in the 1977 made-for-TV movie “Something for Joey.”

John Cappaletti, at 6-1, 216 pounds, went on to play eight years in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams and then the San Diego Chargers, earning 2951 yards in 824 career carries. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1993.

Where is he now? He lives in Laguna Niguel, Cal., with his wife, whom he dated in high school. They have four sons. He remains active in Penn State football alumni programs.